Rail-joint



UNITED lSTATES- PATENT Grises.

EDWIN LANE, or JOHNSTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA.

RAIL-JOINT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 547,668, dated October 8, 1895. Application filed J'une 27, 1,895. Serial No. 554,261. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWIN LANE, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at J ohnstown,in the Ycounty of Cambria and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rail-Joints; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying d rawings, and to letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

The object of my invention is to provide a splice-bar of improved construction which is adapted to engage the ends of the rails so that they will be united by the splice-bar and without the use of bolts, means being provided whereby the rails can be joined to each other between the ties by the use of blocks, which take the place of the usual spikes, and a covering-plate which holds the blocks in place, said covering-plate also serving to reinforce the splice-bar.

With the above ends in view my invention consists in the construction and combination ofthe parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth, and particularly pointed out in thev claims.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a splice-bar or rail-joint constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation, partly in section, and Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2.

A A designate the railroad-rails, the basefianges of which are cut away or recessed at intervals, as shown at a a, and B designates the splice-bar which is adapted to be placed over the ends of the rails so as to bear against the tread-portion, web, and base-flan ges thereof. The splice-bar is provided on each side at intervals with recesses b, which register with the recesses a in the base-flanges of the rails, but are of less width than the same.

D designates a'coveringplate which'is of splicebar, and the other end is provided with a spring-catch d', which engages the other end of the splicefbar, so as `to hold the covering-plate against longitudinal movement. Before placing the coveringplate in position blocks e e are placed in the registering-recesses a and b, these blocks being of approximately the same width as the Width of the recesses b in the splice-bar, and less than the width of the recesses a in the base-flanges of the rails, the greater width of the recesses oa providing for the expansion and contraction of the rails. The blocks e are readily ap,- plied and are cheaper than bolts, and by using the construction hereinbefore described the drilling of the rails is avoided. The splicebar and covering-plate may be rolled and pressed into shape.

The device hereinbefore described provides a cheap, simple, and effective means for connecting the ends of rails where the joint occurs between the ties, and in applying the parts the splice-bar B is slid over the end of one of the rails and after the other rail is brought in position it is slid over the end of the same, so that the notches or recesses a and b will be on a line with each other or register. The blocks e e are then placed in the recesses and the covering-plate D placed in position by depressing the catch and passing the said covering-plate over the lower part of the splice-bar to retain the blocks in position, the covering-plate being held against longitudinal movement by the lug d and catch d', as hereinbefore mentioned. The covering-plate not only retains theblocks in position, but also serves the additional function of reinforcing they vsplice-bar.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, ism

1. In combination with the rails A A hav ing notches or recesses a in the base flanges thereof, of a splice-bar B having notches or recesses b of less width than the notches or recesses in the base flanges of the rails, to gether with blocks e tting into the recesses and a covering plate D fitting over the lower part of the splice-bar so as to retain the blocks.

in place, for the purpose set forth. 2. In combination with the rails A A, a splicebar B, the rails and splice-bar having IOC) registering recesses, as set forth, blocks e ft- In testimony whereof I affix my signature ting the recesses and a covering plate D havin presence of two witnesses. mg au upwardly-projecting lug at one end and a spring catch at the other, the lug and EDWIN LANE. 5 catch being adapted to engage the ends of XVtnesses:

the splice-bar, substantially as shown and for SCOTT W. REED,

the purpose set forth. RUSH WISEGARVER. 

